Six try year 9 make progress.
Gowerton year 9: 34 Bishop Vaughan yr 9: 24.
Man of the match: Alex Crawford beats two defenders to score his first try.
Gowerton through to the quarter finals in the Swansea schools’ cup.
Gowerton’s year 9 rugby team hosted Bishop Vaughan in the first round of the Swansea schools cup and in an enterprising game of ten tries it was the hosts who came out on top scoring six to the visitors’ four.
Bishop Vaughan kicked off and when Gowerton spilled the kick, visiting flanker and captain Dariel Tunay, who was outstanding in the contact area throughout, reacted quickly to secure the ball and burst into the hosts’ 22. When he was halted centre Paul Crudge was on hand to score a try that fly half Liam Thomas converted.
This early set back served to steel the hosts and they dominated the rest of the half to score four unanswered tries. In the 6th minute, a strong catch and drive at a 5 metre line out allowed prop Bradley Steele-Davies to crash over. Four minutes later strong runs by No.8 Lewis Pennington and centre Alex Crawford took their team close to the line and scrum half Iwan Jones picked up and dived over down the blindside.
Gowerton scrum half dives over to score his team’s second try.
In the 23rd minute, scrum half Jones who was at the heart of all the hosts’ attacks grabbed his second try after hooker Danny Thomas tapped a penalty quickly, fed him and Jones showed his strength to drive over despite the efforts of two defenders to halt him.
On the stroke of half time, centre Alex Crawford scored a fourth try after fly half Cameron Clayfield picked up a loose ball on half way and burst clear, he was tackled 15 metres out but his clever offload allowed Crawford the time to gather, beat the last defender and cross leaving Gowerton with a healthy 20-7 advantage at the break.
Hooker Danny Thomas looks for space-It’s good to see that ball in two hands Danny.
The visitors had the advantage of the wind in the second half and with flankers Tunay and Senan Clarke both competing strongly they dominated field position and deservedly reduced the deficit in the 31st minute when fly half Thomas took a penalty quickly and passed to wing Mayamiko Buliyani who showed both his pace and his power to brush aside several would be tacklers and cross for a try that went unconverted.
Gowerton weren’t going to release their grip on the tie and with lock Lewis Grove, centre James Northey and centre and man of the match centre Crawford all impressing they stretched their lead with tries in the 38th and 40th minute. For the first score fly half Clayfield crossed after good approach work by centre Northey and scrum half Jones. Then more good work by scrum half Jones allowed centre Crawford to cross for his second try.
Gowerton lock Lewis Grove powers towards the Bishop Vaughan line.
With ten minutes left, the hosts held a comfortable lead and their progress into the next round appeared assured, however Bishop Vaughan refused to concede without a fight and first prop Adam Johns powered through some weak tackles to score a try that fly half Thomas converted. Then with 4 minutes left, flanker Tunay scored a fine individual score when he burst down the touchline from halfway to touch down in the corner. In the final minutes the visitors pressed for another score but Gowerton’s defence held firm and at the final whistle they progressed to play Bryntawe or Olchfa away in the quarter final.
